As Spring and Winter continue their tug of war for territorial rights, the evidences of Spring’s firm hold become more apparent each day. And with Spring thoughts automatically turn to the great American pastime – baseball. An ever great American pastime however is one that is not seasonal but continues through all seasons of the year, throughout all seasons of life – that of ego-tripping.
This seemingly harmless folly, compounded many times in every conceivable segment of our society has become increasingly devastating to our nation and others throughout the world affected by it.
The grave danger here is that this societal malignancy is so obvious in others yet remains so obscure within us. Subsequently our reformation efforts and energies are usually misspent on changing the obvious (others, over whom we have no control) while failing to exercise any restraints over the only one we are capable of controlling – ourselves.
Once realizing our inability to have any lasting effect upon our general surroundings, our wisest move should then be to work on our attitude toward that which we cannot change.
Remember the immortal prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: “God, grant me: Serenity to accept things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.”
Someone has said that the mind cannot fathom what a Paradise this world would be if we were not so obsessed with who gets credit for what. The magnitude of this statement far exceeds our wildest imagination in the politics of science, medicine and technology as well as on corporate, organizational and even individual scale. One must wonder how many great ideas have been suppressed or how many lifesaving drugs are being withheld, along with other scientific discoveries, fuel and energy-saving technology, simply because they wrong ones might obtain the credit and/or subsequent control.
Unfortunately, this dangerous pastime is often disguised in altruism, doing right things for wrong reasons that according to the Baha’i Holy writings, nullifies the act before God. How many the individuals and agencies that have become rich off of poverty; how many pharmaceutical giants have emerged around the dire necessity for many lifesaving, or life altering drugs; and how frequently do our nation’s political parties become so obsessed with playing the administrative party credit/blame game that they fail to notice the damage done to America.
As we approach Summer with its many outdoor pastimes, may we pass more time giving serious consideration to those activities that will distinguish us among other souls. Not through arrogance or egotism but by reason of our sincerity, faithfulness and love, our honesty and fidelity, truthfulness and loving kindness toward all the peoples of the world, according to the Baha’i Holy writings. Then will we truly become distinguished among nations and lead through the dynamic force of example.
